BUTLER, Pa., April 3, 2013 – As part of the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and in partnership with the statewide Pennsylvania Civil War 150 efforts, Butler County Historical Society will host a new traveling exhibit, The Civil War in Pennsylvania, which is presented by Peoples Natural Gas and supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

The 500 square foot exhibit, created by the Senator John Heinz History Center for its Affiliate Program members, will be on display from April 6 – April 27, 2013.

The Civil War in Pennsylvania exhibit features four life-like museum figures, plus a companion Dog Jack, along with artifacts, previously unseen photographs, and large museum panels describing Pennsylvania’s contributions to the Civil War.

The four museum figures represented in the exhibition include:

Strong Vincent, a young attorney from Erie, Pa. who rallied Union troops in the fierce battle on Little Round Top with the phrase, “Don’t give an inch!”

Martin Delany, a Pittsburgh abolitionist who was one of the first African Americans admitted to Harvard Medical School and later, the highest ranking African American in the Civil War.

Kate McBride, a young worker from the Allegheny Arsenal, who represents the women and children who toiled on the home front to support the Union efforts.

Tillie Pierce, a 15-year old Gettysburg native who hauled buckets of water for thirsty soldiers, tore cloth into bandages to aid physicians, and comforted the wounded after Confederate troops overran her hometown.

In addition to the figures, the exhibit also features several artifacts that illustrate Pennsylvania’s role on both the battlefield and the home front, including:

A Civil War-era cannon ball cut in half to show its cross-section along with a Civil War-era Enfield rifle.

· Civil War paper cartridges and a collection of minie balls similar to what was created at the Allegheny Arsenal.

Drum carried by Butler County Civil War Regiment. Record books for Butler County’s Civil War Regiments.

The exhibit will cover a variety of topics, all told from a Western Pa. perspective. Issues related to slavery, the efforts on the home front, the importance of women, the role of Pittsburgh as the “Arsenal of the Union,” and the impact of the Battle of Gettysburg will be addressed.

The Civil War in Pennsylvania exhibit is based on recent scholarship developed out of the statewide Pa. Civil War 150 collaboration. Noted American historians, including Ed Ayres, William Blair, James Horton, and Elizabeth Leonard, have participated in all phases of the statewide efforts.

This project is supported jointly by a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) and the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation.

To learn more about The Civil War in Pennsylvania at the Butler County Historical Society, please visit http://www.butlerhistory.com.

The exhibit will be on display at the Senator Walter Lowrie House, 123 West Diamond Street in Butler from April 6 through April 27. Display hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10-6, Thursdays and Fridays, 12 - 8, and Saturdays and Sundays, 10-4. Admission for adults is $5.00 and children 6 through 17 is $2.00.

The Butler County Historical Society is a private, non-profit, 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to collect, preserve, and interpret all of Butler County’s historical records and artifacts for the educational benefit of the public.

To learn more about upcoming exhibits, publications, and events related to the Heinz History Center’s Civil War commemoration, please visit www.heinzhistorycenter.org/civilwar.

The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and the largest history museum in Pennsylvania, presents American history with a Western Pennsylvania connection. More information is available at www.heinzhistorycenter.org.

Presented by Peoples TWP and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.